CVE-2019-13376 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

phpBB version 3.2.7 contains a vulnerability that allows for the theft of an Administration Control Panel session id via Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in the Remote Avatar feature, leading to stored XSS.

Understanding CVE-2019-13376

This CVE entry pertains to a security issue in phpBB version 3.2.7 that enables malicious actors to hijack CSRF tokens and execute stored XSS attacks.

What is CVE-2019-13376?

CVE-2019-13376 is a vulnerability in phpBB 3.2.7 that permits the acquisition of an Administration Control Panel session id through CSRF, resulting in the execution of malicious code (stored XSS).

The Impact of CVE-2019-13376

The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to the Administration Control Panel and the execution of malicious scripts, posing a significant security risk to affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-13376

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The Remote Avatar feature in phpBB version 3.2.7 can be exploited through CSRF to steal the session id of the Administration Control Panel, enabling the execution of malicious code (stored XSS).

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Version: phpBB 3.2.7

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by leveraging CSRF in the Remote Avatar feature to acquire the session id of the Administration Control Panel, leading to CSRF Token Hijacking and stored XSS.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-13376 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update phpBB to a patched version that addresses the CSRF vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict access to the Administration Control Panel to authorized users only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement CSRF protection mechanisms in web applications to prevent token hijacking.
Regularly audit and review security configurations to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by phpBB to address the CSRF vulnerability and enhance system security.